Electric signaling system.



J. S. HARLEY.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22,1911.

Patented July 9, 1912 I Even/v7?- via/777 5. Far/kg as rafrnnr orrc.

JOHN S. HARLEY, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNALING COMPANY, OF LA CROSSE, WIS. CONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Application filed May 22, 1911. Serial No. 628,873.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN S. HARLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at hlinneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an electric signaling system for use in buildings having numerous rooms or departments; and has for its object to signal the existence of a fire in any of said rooms or departments immediately upon the occurrence of a fire.

My system not only provides means for so signaling to a central station within the building, as well as to the fire station where desired, but also will. progressively announce the progress of the fire from one room to another.

A further object of my invention is to provide a system such that any defect in the system such as lack of sufficient current, a broken wire, short circuit or any other con dition which might render the system inoperative will immediately be signaled.

To provide the means for effecting the above enumerated purposes I provide a primary thermostat circuit normally closed and a separate signaling circuit normally open, any condition which results in opening the thermostat circ'uit operating to close the signaling'circuit and cause the same to signal the existence of an abnormal condition in the thermostat circuit.

In the drawings illustrating the application of my invention in one form,Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of the related parts and connecting wiring of my system. Fig. 2 is a detail side view of the gravity operating double-pole switch for closing the signaling circuit or circuits.

In the drawings A represents the central station or oifice and B and C two of the rooms or departments in the building, while D denominates the fire station. The normally closed thermostat circuit is represent ed in its entirety by character T. This circuit comprises a battery 1 having main wires 2 and 3 leading therefrom. Wires 4 and 5 tapthe wire 2 and extend into the rooms B and C, respectively, passing through a manually operated circuit breaker or switch 6 and one or more circuit breaking thermostats 7, the switch 6 being located where the same may be operated by hand in case of need while the thermostats 7 will be so located within the rooms or departments as to be most likely to receive the first heat impulses from a fire. lVires 4 and 5 are each connected with independent relays 8 and 9, respectively, from which return wires 10 and 11 close the room circuits with the main battery wires 3.

The signaling system may include a bell 12 in the central station and a bell 13 in each of the rooms or departments of the building and also colored warning lights 14 and ordinary illuminating lights 15 as well as an annunciator 16 in the central station. 1' sufliciently strong current may be obtained by the use of separate batteries in each room in the building to operate both bells and lights from a single circuit, but I prefer to have the bells and annunciator in one circuit and the lights, where the same are used, in a second circuit receiving energy from some high power source, indi cated by 17. The signaling circuit, by which is meant primarily the bell and an nunciator circuit, is represented in its entirety by the character S. This circuit is normally open and comprises the battery 18 from which extend main wires 19 and 20. lVire 19 leads to the annunciator 1G branching to each of the drops 21, 22, etc, correspending with the rooms B, C, etc. From the drops 21, 22 independent wires 23, 24 extend to contacts 25, 26 in cooperative relation with the armatures 27, 28 of the relays 8 and 9, said armatures being held away from said contacts by means of the current passing through the relays 8 and 9 in the closed circuit T, all of the armatures in turn being connected in series through wire 29 with relay 80. V here two independent circuits are used for bells and lights, respectively, relay 30 is connected by wire 31 with relay from which return wire 33 connects with main wire 20 to complete the circuit. All of the bells of the bell signaling circuit are connected in series upon wires 34 and 85 which terminate in contacts 36 and 37, respectively, in spaced relation with other contacts 38, 39 connected with main wires .19 and 20, this arrangement providing a closing the bell circuit.

In order to detect failure of current in the signaling circuit S, I provide a shunt circuit formed of wires 46, 47 connected with the battery wires 19, 20, there being included in said shunt circuit a relay 18 normally holding armature 49 in raised position. An independent circuit composed of battery 50 and connecting wires 51, 52 and alarm bell 53 is provided having a contact 54, the wire 51 connecting with the armature 49 by which the circuit is normally held open. Vhen, however, the current falls in the circuit S so that relay 48 becomes sufficiently deenergized to permit armature 19 to drop the independent signaling circuit will be closed and the alarm bell 53 will ring, thereby signaling deficiency of current in the circuit S.

The fire station D may be provided with an independent signaling circuit comprising battery 55 connecting wire 56 leading to bell 57 and thence to an annunciator 58 from which the wire goes to armature 59 of relay 60, said armature being adapted to close the circuit upon contact 61 leading back to battery 55. The relay 0 is in a ground circuit energized from battery 1, said circuit i11- cluding wires 62 and G3 connecting with wires 2 and 3, respectively, and ground wires 6st and 65, there being a circuit brcak ing switch 66 which is operated by the fall of the gravity acting double-pole switch device to break the circuit. In case for any reason it is desirable to cut out the tire station while the system is being repaired or for other reasons, the switch 67 is provided for this purpose.

It will be noted that each of the branch thermostat circuits extending into the different rooms comprises a separate relay 8 or 9 and that each of these relays is connected with the signaling circuit through an individual drop in the annunciator corresponding with the room for which such circuit is provided. The breaking of any one circuit in any particular room or department will, of course, not only operate the annunciator drop for that room or department but also all of the general alarm and signaling means. This will not, however, interfere in any way with the branch circuits to the other rooms or departments. If, therefore, the fire progresses from the room in which it originated to adjacent rooms, the thermostats in said adjacent and extent of the fire so that when the fire department or salvage corps reach thebuilding the annunciator will show in just what rooms or departments the fire is burning.

The double-pole switch for closing the signaling circuit S is diagrammatically in dicated at 68- and is shown in detail in Fig. 2, This switch comprises a pivot member 69 provided with a hook 70 and weight '11 at the free end thereof, the hook 70 being adapted to engage a pivot hook 72 pivotally attached to the ari'nature 73 of relay 30, the coaction of the hooks 70 and 72 normally holding the pivot member 69 in raised position. hen the signaling circuit S is first closed relay 30 will lift armature 73 disengaging hook 72 from hook 71 and permitting the pivot member 69 to fall. The pairs of contacts 37, 39 and 36, 38, respectively, are bifurcated metal strips 'in spaced parallel relation adapted to receive connecting knives or switch members Tet rigidly secured to the pivot member 69. member 69 is released or unlatched by operation of the catch 7 2 by relay 30, the switch member 74 will cooperate with the spring blades forming the bifurcated upper extremities of the pairs of cont-acts, thereby closing the signaling circuit formed of wires 34, 85 and 19, 20, res 'iect-ively. The same movement of member (35) operates to break the fire station circuit formed of wires 62, (S3 and grounds (34, 65, this result being accomplished by means of the special switch 66. As shown in Fig. 2, switch. 66 is pivoted to a contact 75 connected with wire 63, another contact TU being connected with ground wire and having a spring metal contact end adapted to receive switch (36. The pivot member 69 is provided with an extension 77 which engages the switch (36 when said pivot member is latched in raised-position holding said switch in engagement with contact (36 to maintain the ground circuit to fire station closed. A hook 78 is provided on the pivot member 69 which extends beneath 'the free end of switch 66 when member (39 is latched in raised position. This hook 78 will operate to lift switch 66 and break the ground circuit when member (39 falls. The switch (36 is pivoted to contact 75 so as to move in its pivotal bearing with sullicicnt friction to hold said switch in any given position, so that after it has been lifted by hook 78 it will remain out of engagement with switch 66 until member 69 is again lifted thereby When .through engagement of the extension 77 restoring switch 66 to circuit closing position.

The operation of my alarm system is as follows: In case a fire should break out in any room or department of the building provided with m alarm system, as room C, the immediate e ect of such fire would be to cause some one of the circuit breaking thermostats provided in the closed circuit T to break said circuit whereupon the armature 28 of the relay corresponding to the branch circuit of room C would fall upon contact 26 thereby closing signaling circuit S. thirrent will now flow through the annunciator drop 22 and relay 30 which will simultaneously cause said annunciator to indicate the fire or other abnormal condition in room or department C and the armature 73 to with draw hook 72 from hook and permit the pivoted member (39 to fall. This will simultaneously connect the bell circuit, thereby causing all of the bells provided in the system to ring, and disconnect the ground circuit leading to the fire station. T he disconnect-ion of said ground circuit will deenergize relay (50 permitting the armature 59 to fall closing the fire station circuit with the result that the alarm and place of the fire will be signaled at the fire station. It, as shown, a separate lighting circuit is used in the building a second gravity connecting switch member similar to that described will be released by relay 32, closing the lighting circuit, with the result that the warning and illuminating lights in each of the rooms or departments will be operated. Exactly the same results will follow the breaking of any of the wires of circuit T, the operation of switches 6 by hand or the failure of battery 1 to supply suliicient current to energize the relays 8, 9; and should the current in circuit S fall to a point short of operative eliiciency the separate warning circuit connected with the shunt circuit 4-6,.

t? will signal such deficiency. The breaking of the ground circuit to the fire station also will result in signaling the abnormal condition at the fire station. It follows, therefore, that when once installed my system cannot become inoperative for the purpose intended without immediately giving proper warning, whereupon. the fault may be at once detected and repaired. This feature of absolute certainty of operation or my system under all possible conditions is one of its chief advantages, as it is only an absolute assurance of capacity to perform its function at all times that will warrant the expense of installing a fire alarm system.

Although especially well adapted to operate with circuit-breaking thermostats as a tire alarm system, my system is also well adapted .to operate in connection with any of the well-known mechanical circuit-breaking devices as a burglar alarm. With such an arrangement the closed circuit would be broken mechanically upon an attempt to enter the safe, pick locks or enter guarded rooms of a building, With the result that the presence of the burglar in a particular room or building may be signaled to a central station in such manner thatthe burglar may not be aware that warning has been given until he is apprehended.

I claim:

1. A fire signaling system comprising a normally closed circuit, thermostats in said circuit adapted to break said circuit when operated, a normally open metallic circuit including a series of branch circuitm means in each branch open circuit controlled by the breaking of the closed circuit to close the open circuit, a grouped series of annunciators in said branch open circuits and operated severally thereby, a "signaling circuit, a switch gravity-actuated when released to close said signaling circuit to cause the same to operate the signals, and means operated from the first named open circuit to release the switch.

QLA fire signaling system comprising a normally closed circuit, thermostats in said circuit adapted to break said circuit when operated, a normally open metallic circuit including a series of branch circuits, means in each branch open circuit controlled by the breaking of the closed circuit to close the open circuit, a grouped series of annunciators in said branch open circuits and operated severally thereby, a signaling circuit, a switch gravity-actuated when released to close said signaling circuit to cause the same to operate the signals, and a relay in the open circuit for releasing said switch to permit it to close the signaling circuit.

3. A. signaling system comprising a normally closed main circuit, a series or normally closed branch circuits each extending through a room to be protected, a normally open main circuit, a ,series ot'branch circuits connected with and each adapted to close said normally open main circuit, independent signaling means operable by each of said normally open branch circuits when the same is closed, means in the branch closed circuits for controlling the corresponding branch open circuits, an open signaling branch circuit connected with said main open circuit, and means caused to operate by closing of said main open circuit for closing said signaling, circuit.

4. A signaling system comprising a normally closed main circuit, a series of normally closed branch circuits each extending through a room to be protected, a normally open main circuit, a series of branch circuits connected with and each adapted to close said normally open main circuit, sig naling means in and operable by each normally open branch circuit, means in the branch closed circuits for controlling the corresponding branch open circuits, an open signaling branch circuit' connected with and energized from the same source as the main open circuit, said signaling circuit extending through each room to be protected, independent signaling means in each room and operable by closing of said signaling circuit, and means caused to operate by closing of said main open circuit for closing said signaling circuit.

5.\A signaling system comprising a normally closed main circuit, a series of normally closed branch circuits each ext-ending through a room to be protected, a normally open main circuit, a series of branch circuits connected with and each adapted to close said normally open main circuit, signaling means in and operable by each normally open branch circuit, a relay in each branch closed circuit the armature of which forms a part of the main opencircuit, each branch open circuit having a contact positioned so that the armature of a corresponding branch closed circuit will operate to close said main open circuit through said branch open circuit, an open signaling branch circuit connected with said main open circuit, and means for closing said signaling circuit caused to operate by closing of the main open circuit.

6. A signaling system comprising a nor mally closed main circuit, a series of normally closed branch circuits each extending through a room to be protected, a normally open main circuit, aseries of branch circuits connected with and each adapted to close said normally open main circuit, signaling means iii and operable by each normally open branch circuit, a relay in each branch closed circuit the armature of which forms a part, of the main open circuit, each branch open circuit having a contact positioned so that the armature of a corresponding branch closed circuit will operate to close said main open circuit through said branch open circuit, an open signaling branch circuit connected with said main open circuit, a gravity operating double knife switch for closing said signaling circuit, means to hold said switch normally inoperative and means cooperating therewith which is caused to release said switch by closing of the main open circuit.

7. A signaling system comprising a normally closed main circuit, a series of normally closed branch circuits each extending through a room to be protected, a normally open main circuit, a series of branch circuits connected with and each adapted to close said normally open main circuit, signaling means in and operable by each normally open branch circuit, means in the branch closed circuits for controlling the corresponding branch open circuits, an open signaling branch circuit connected with and energized from the same source as the main open circuit, an independent open circuit energized from an independent source, and means for simultaneously closing said sig naling circuits caused to operate by closing of said main open circuit.

8. A signaling system comprising a normally closed main circuit, a series of normally closed branch circuits each extendingv through a room to be protected, a normally open main circuit, a series of branch circuits connected with and each adapted to close said normally open main circuit, signaling means in and operable by each normally open branch circuit, a relay in each branch closed circuit the armature of which forms a part of the main open circuit, each branch open circuit having a contact positioned so that the armature of a corresponding branch closed circuit will operate to close said main open circuit through'said branch open circuit, a normally closed ground circuit con nected with said first named closed circuit, independent signaling means caused to operate by opening of said ground circuit, and means for openingsaid ground circuit caused to operate by closing of said main open circuit.

9. A signaling system comprising a normally closed main circuit, a series of normally closed branch circuits each extending through a room to be protected, a normally" open main circuit, a series of branch circuits connected with and each adapted to close said normally open main circuit, signaling means in and operable by each normally open branch circuit, a relay in each branch closed circuit the armature of which forms a part of themain open circuit, each branch open circuit having a contact positioned so that the armature of a corresponding branch therefrom each extending into a room to beprotected and including circuit-breaking -thermostats, a main open circuit and branch open circuits therefrom each including an independentsignaling device, and arelay in each branch closed circuit and the armature thereof and 'related'contact in each branch open circuit, whereby successive opening of branch closed circuits will effect successive closing of corresponding branch open circuits, and successive operation of said signaling devices thereby, a normally open lighting circuit extending into and including lights in each room to be protected, and means for closing said lighting circuit caused to operate by closing of any of said branch open circuits.

11.111 a fire signaling system, a main closed circuit and branch closed circuits therefrom each extending into a room to be protected and including circuit breaking thermostats, a main open circuit and branch open circuits therefrom each including an independent signaling device, and a relay in each branch closed circuit and the armature thereof and related contact in each branch open circuit, a closed ground circuit and fire station signaling means rendered operative JOHN s. HARLEY.

VVitn esses F. A. WHITELEY, H. A. BOWMAN. 

